Photo/Illutration Police search for people at a collapsed house in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 4, 2024. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The National Police Agency has created a framework with social media providers to swiftly silence buffoons who post false rescue requests during disasters when actual victims need saving.

The NPA in December said police would contact operators of social networking services or apps about illegal posts that could hinder rescue operations or cause confusion. The operators would then quickly delete such information.

When the NPA proposed the framework idea to social media operators in October last year, some of them established specialized desks to swiftly detect and deal with disinformation posted.

Immediately after the Noto Peninsula earthquake struck on Jan. 1 last year, posts appeared on social media, including X (formerly Twitter), calling for rescue. Many other users reposted these messages without knowing they were false information.

In July, Ishikawa prefectural police arrested a man on suspicion of obstructing police search activities by pretending to be a disaster victim and posting false rescue requests after the earthquake.

In the quake-damaged Noto region, police installed around 1,000 security cameras at evacuation centers and on the streets as a crime-prevention measure.

Police also established a special unit that will be dispatched to disaster-stricken areas to select locations for such security cameras and install and manage them.

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